Featured runner: Palm City woman earns spot in Boston Marathon

Sharon Erwin ran a 4:08:49 at the Phoenix Marathon on March 3, qualifying her for the 2014 Boston Marathon. It was the Palm City resident’s sixth marathon, as well as her sixth time trying to secure a spot in the most prestigious road race in the country.

This time, though, Erwin trained differently.

“After being plagued with injury after injury, I finally learned that I just have to do what is right for me,” she said.

“I can’t always train with my friends or follow a training plan. I vowed never to be sidelined again and to concentrate on training smart, even if that meant training alone and using the Galloway Run/Walk/Run method.

“I also believe strongly in yoga, massage, cross training and rest.”

Q: What is the most challenging facet about training/running?

A: I tend to be a follower and often find myself trying to keep up with younger/faster runners, which has helped me to improve, but if I’m not careful, also can lead me into an injury. Doing what is right for me and staying injury free is my biggest challenge.

Q: What brand of shoe do you wear?

A: K-Swiss Kwicky Blades and Brooks Pure Cadence

Q: How do you train?

A: I usually run three days/week. One day is a comfortable pace followed with yoga, another is a tempo run followed with yoga and one day is a long run using the run/walk/run method. I also try to get in a bike ride and swim on two 2 non-running days. I take two days of rest.

Q: What is your favorite local race?

A: The Cherish Life 10K. I ran it for the first time this year, and loved it!

A: What inspires and motivates me the most are runners who have overcome health issues, whether it’s weight loss or cancer or an addiction, and have changed their lives through something as simple as running. I think if they can overcome that, what’s stopping me from getting out there?

Q: What are your running/race goals?

A: Well, in addition to running injury free, my goal was to some day qualify for the Boston Marathon and run a half or full marathon in every state. I’m happy to say I met one of those goals last weekend, and I’ve run in 14 states!

Q: You’ve been on a quest for a while to qualify for the Boston Marathon. How does it feel now that you’ve done it?

A: Qualifying for Boston is a dream come true and also a relief. I’m really not a fan of racing marathons; they’re just too hard on me. But Boston is the one race that you have to earn your entry and I am from Mass-achusetts, so I feel like I not only qualified for the most prestigious race, but I’m also “coming home.”

Q: How long have you been trying to qualify?

A: I’m fairly new to running, I started in 2005, after my children grew up and were out of the house. I never really gave much thought to running competitively until someone suggested a 5K. I placed at that race and got bitten by the “I wonder if I could ...” bug.

Q: What are you most looking forward to next year in Boston?

A: I am really looking forward to “going home” where friends and family who reside in the Boston area will be able to watch me run and meeting up with my Florida friends from The Breakfast Club, who are running Boston 2014, too.

Q: You’ve run some pretty cool races all over the country. What has been your favorite?

A: My favorite race in my quest for all 50 states is a tie between the Big Sur Monterey Bay (Calif.) Half Marathon and the Missoula (Mont.) Half Marathon. Both were inexpensive, friendly and not crowded, had great weather, gorgeously scenic courses and awesome post-race parties.

Q: Any marathons still on your “bucket list?”?

A: In all honesty, I’ve told friends that Boston would be my “swan song” and I would stick to running half marathons afterward if I ever qualified, but now I suppose I should set my sights on completing the other two on my bucket list — the London and Berlin marathons. I will run them — not race them — with friends!

Q: Anything else you’d like to share?

A: Anyone who wants to try running, but thinks they won’t fit in for whatever reason ... don’t put it off any longer. The running community here is so supportive and you will change your life in the best possible way while making lifelong friendships like I did.